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NRC Approves Final Rule on Spent Fuel Storage and Ends Suspension of Final Licensing Actions for Nuclear Plants and Renewals

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Tuesday approved a final rule on the environmental effects of continued storage of spent nuclear fuel and will lift its suspension of final licensing actions on nuclear power plant licenses and renewals once the rule becomes effective.

Susquehanna Steam Electric Station Unit 2 - Notice of Public Meeting on September 3, 2014

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Anti-nukers, congressmen fret over Entergy finances, requested subsidies

By RICHIE DAVIS

Recorder Staff
Monday, August 25, 2014
(Published in print: Tuesday, August 26, 2014)

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission recently reopened a year-old petition from anti-nuclear groups concerned about Entergy Corp.’s financial ability to safely operate its nuclear plants, including Vermont Yankee.

The original petition, filed before Entergy announced plans to shut the 620-megawatt Vernon, Vt., reactor at the end of 2014 for economic reasons, had called for NRC staff to seek detailed financial information from Entergy Corp., but after the company balked, arguing such scrutiny was beyond NRC’s purview, the commissioners backed down.

After a letter last November from Congressmen Edward Markey, D-Mass., and Bernie Sanders of Vermont to the NRC the agency has again sought financial information from Entergy.

The congressmen said “financial distress and the failure to maintain sufficient operating funds would be expected to signal the potential for future degradations in safety brought about by a licensee’s need to conserve funding.”

Meanwhile, Entergy last month reported a 55 percent decline in second-quarter earnings compared to the corresponding period last year, forcing it to eliminate 800 jobs nationwide.

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Routine Releases of Radioactive Materials from U.S. Nuclear Plants
Dave Lochbaum
Union of Concerned Scientists
August 2014
Revision 0
 

The idea for this material came during a November 2013 workshop on radiation monitoring conducted by the Bellefonte Efficiency & Sustainability Team (BEST) and the Mothers Against Tennessee River Radiation (MATRR) in Chattanooga, TN (check out http://www.matrr.org/).

Thanks to Garry Morgan and Gretel Johnston of BEST/MATRR for reviewing drafts and providing very helpful feedback.

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Good Day:
 
I made the attached presentation during an NRC Commission briefing on Fukushima lessons learned and status this morning. The chair and co-chair of the NAS committee that authored the report issued last week also made presentations, which are or soon will be archived (somewhere) on the NRC's website.
 
Thanks,
Dave Lochbaum
UCS

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Join NIRS and a cast of thousands for the nuclear-free, carbon-free contingent to the People's Climate March September 21 in New York City. Details for the event are evolving rapidly; check here regularly for new materials and information.

The route of the March has now been agreed to with NYPD:

- Assemble in area north of Columbus Circle
- leave Columbus Circle and go east on 59th Street
- turn onto 6th Ave. and go south to 42nd Street
- turn right onto 42nd Street and go west to 11th Ave
- turn left on 11th Ave. and go south to 34th Street

End Location: on 11th Ave. in the streets between 34th Street and 38th Street

Time of the March, assembly location for Nuclear-Free, Carbon-Free Contingent and other details are not completed. We will update here as more information is confirmed.

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Date:  July 24, 2014

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident Underscores Need to Actively Seek Out and Act on New Information About Nuclear Plant Hazards, Says New NAS Report

WASHINGTON – A new congressionally mandated report from the National Academy of Sciences concludes that the overarching lesson learned from the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident is that nuclear plant licensees and their regulators must actively seek out and act on new information about hazards with the potential to affect the safety of nuclear plants.  The committee that wrote the report examined the causes of the Japan accident and identified findings and recommendations for improving nuclear plant safety and offsite emergency responses to nuclear plant accidents in the U.S.

The accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant was initiated by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011.  The earthquake knocked out offsite AC power to the plant, and the tsunami inundated portions of the plant site.  Flooding of critical equipment resulted in the extended loss of onsite power with the consequent loss of reactor monitoring, control, and cooling functions in multiple units.  Three reactors -- Units 1, 2, and 3 -- sustained severe core damage, and three reactor buildings -- Units 1, 3, and 4 -- were damaged by hydrogen explosions.  Offsite releases of radioactive materials contaminated land in Fukushima and several neighboring prefectures, prompting widespread evacuations, distress among the population, large economic losses, and the eventual shutdown of all nuclear power plants in Japan.  

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Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, Units 2 and 3 - Relaxation of Response Due Dates Regarding Flooding Hazard Reevaluations for Recommendation 2.1 of the Near-Term Task Force Review of the Insights from the Fukushima Dai-Ichi Accident (TAC Nos. MF3671 and MF3672)

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Peach Bottom Atomic Station, Units 2 and 3 - Staff Assessment of the Flooding Walkdown Report Supporting Implementation of Near-Term Task Force Recommendation 2.3 Related to the Fukushima DAI-ICHI Nuclear Power Plant Accident (Tac Nos. MF0261 and MF0262)

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